Thursday 24th May at The Chalet Pavilion, Carding Mill valley, Church Stretton

Britain’s trees, woodlands and gardens have been under attack before, but new and more sinister diseases are threatening the existence of some of our most familiar and best loved trees. Heartwoods invites you to a workshop to find out about the latest research in how to manage this urgent problem. You will learn how to recognise a variety of tree diseases and how to manage them to reduce losses, and contact and prevent their spread.

A leading professional from Forest Research will be looking at current concerns and future threats, covering, oak declines, phytophthora diseases, red-band needle blight, bleeding cankers, and likely new diseases that may arrive in the UK.FERA will be providing a detailed insight into what we have learned from the impact of phytophthora ramorum in the South-West and Wales and what the implications are for the West Midlands. The workshop includes indoor presentations followed by tours of local woodlands to see trees and plants where disease is now evident.

Event costs £10.00 (which includes lunch and refreshments) and is aimed at those employed within the woodland industry and woodland owners within the West Midlands region.

To book your place please contact the Heartwoods office on 01952 435860 or alternatively emailinfo@heartwoods.co.uk

Britain’s trees, woodlands and gardens have been under attack before, but new and more sinister diseases are threatening the existence of some of our most familiar and best loved trees. Heartwoods invites you to a workshop to find out about the latest research in how to manage this urgent problem. You will learn how to recognise a variety of tree diseases and how to manage them to reduce losses, and contact and prevent their spread.
A leading professional from Forest Research will be looking at current concerns and future threats, covering, oak declines, phytophthora diseases, red-band needle blight, bleeding cankers, and likely new diseases that may arrive in the UK.
FERA will be providing a detailed insight into what we have learned from the impact of phytophthora ramorum in the South-West and Wales and what the implications are for the West Midlands. The workshop includes indoor presentations followed by tours of local woodlands to see trees and plants where disease is now evident.

Event costs £10.00 (which includes lunch and refreshments) and is aimed at those employed within the woodland industry and woodland owners within the West Midlands region.

To book your place please contact the Heartwoods office on 01952 435860 or alternatively email info@heartwoods.co.uk

Confor has produced a report on the benefits of managed forests to help inform decision-makers, the wider public and media of the diverse benefits derived from forests, forest management, timber and participating businesses. It has already been sent to over 200 MPs and civil servants, as well as to members of the Independent Forestry Panel (England). It is now released for wider discussion and the industry is encouraged to promote it.

Primarily produced to contribute to the fundamental forestry debate ongoing in England, where it is clear that opinion has not always been well informed, it is timed to brief the forestry panel and others involved, but is applicable across the UK. It highlights some basic points, including:

The low level of woodland cover in England;

Around 45% of which is unmanaged;

Restructuring plantations and sustainable forest management;

Management brings diverse environmental and social benefits;

The need for financial sustainability to underpin the environmental and social;

The need for long-term policy, beyond the Westminster political cycle;

Growing trees absorb carbon, which is stored even when used in timber products;

The greater the economic activity, the greater the environmental benefit;

The need for increased softwood planting and production of raw material for industry.

Confor’s head of policy, Rupert Pigot, commented, “This report is a useful source of basic information for all those taking an interest in the future of forestry, especially in England, but also across the UK. I hope it will increase understanding and awareness of this uniquely valuable sector. Everyone is encouraged to take a look and think of people they know who would be interested in reading it.

Woodfuel is a byproduct of growing timber – this was the key take home message from a demonstration event, hosted at the Whitfield Estate, Wormbridge.

More than 20 farmers and landowners were given a practical tour of “The Big Wood” showing the opportunities of coppicing, regeneration, pure oak stands and thinning, while discussing the commercial markets, usage and returns.

All woodland management involves assessing the woodland and the “suite of opportunities” available; woodfuel is just one of those opportunities.

The order of importance of these opportunities will depend on the priorities of the woodland owner. However according to Graham Taylor of Pryor and Rickett Silviculture, woodfuel should not be a priority – “to manage woodland specifically for woodfuel, would be for the tail to wag the dog.”

Nick Maskery – of Heartwoods described the process of producing a “woodland inventory,” which would be followed by a full “woodland management plan.” Once both these are in place long term objectives are in place and the option to apply for grant funding, from replanting to capital investment becomes live.

Land agent for the Whitfield Estate, William Shuttleworth of Balfours with Berringtons, who were joint sponsors of the event, told how the estate has utilised woodfuel to provide sustainable energy for the estate, through woodchip and biomass burners. He explained: “The lead in time is one of the most critical factors in providing dry wood to ensure maximum efficiency in the burning process.”

Pictured: Wood chip processing is seen behind, from left, Nick Salt, of the Forestry Commission; William Shuttleworth of Balfours with Berringtons; Graham Taylor of Pryor Ricketts Silviculture and Nick Maskery of Heartwoods.

This one day event led by The Deer Initiative will look at the various issues caused by deer within woodlands and how their presence affects woodland management and potential timber production and values.

Ranger’s will be on hand giving demonstrations in gralloching and carcass inspection as well as simple butchery, whilst looking at venison processing and marketing.

We will then visit Croft Castle, next to Gatley Park, and look at the impact deer has had on the woodlands there and how it affects biodiversity.

The event will also focus on:

Encouraging local estates to consider additional revenue by setting up venison marketing;

Consider the need for balanced deer control;

How Heartwoods can help.

There will be a hot venison meal and refreshments served in the woodlands at the end of the walk.

This event will take place outdoors so please ensure suitable clothing and footwear is worn. The event costs £5.00 which includes lunch and refreshments and is targeted at Woodland Owners and Managers within the West Midlands region.

The event is being held on Monday 26th March 2012 at Gatley Park, Leinthall Earls, Nr Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9TR

Starts at 9.30am, finishes by 2.00pm.

For more information or to book your place please contact the Heartwoods office on 01952 435860 or alternatively email info@heartwoods.co.uk

Umbrella company and holiday cottages are first two successful applicants to low carbon heating incentive

Umbrella supplier Booth Brothers in Sheffield entered the history books today by becoming one of the first places in the UK to get the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive.

Its offices, housed in an 18th century former corn mill in Penistone, will be kept warm through an underfloor heating system powered by a renewable energy heat pump.

The Booth Brothers installation supplies offices which are heated by underfloor heating using water heated by the 24kW water source heat pump accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), and with an efficiency above that required by the RHI. It has been accredited under the ‘small commercial heat pumps’ tariff of 4.5p / Kilowatt-hour (kWh) and receive quarterly payments (Based on metered heat generation) for a twenty year period.

The second installation to be accredited is at a set of holiday cottages in East Yorkshire. A ground source heat pump will provide heat and hot water to five holiday lets at Broadgate Farm Cottages in Beverley.

The Broadgate Farm Cottages has installed a 4.3kW ground source heat pump which has been accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) with an efficiency above that required by the RHI. It supplies space heating and hot water. The heat output is measured by an appropriate heat meter. It has been accredited under the ‘small commercial heat pumps’ tariff of 4.5p / Kilowatt-hour (kWh) and receive quarterly payments for a twenty year period.

The £860m Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was launched last year to make it more financially attractive for industry and businesses to install low carbon heating systems like heat pumps, biomass boilers or solar thermal panels.

The RHI is expected to increase the number of installations in industry, the commercial and public sector by seven times to around 126,000 and support the thousands of existing jobs in the heating sector.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:

“It’s fantastic news that the Renewable Heat Incentive has received its first two successful applicants, and this is just the start.

“Renewable heat is a largely untapped resource and an important new green industry of the future. It’ll help the UK shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs and growth in new advanced technologies.”

Chief Executive of Booth Brothers, Charles Booth said:

“Being amongst the first installations to be accredited under the Renewable Heat Incentive is very satisfying for Booth Brothers in terms of developing our strategic target of carbon neutral for our Bullhouse Mill site and eco-umbrella factory. Last year our Old Corn Mill offices were commended for their eco rating and we generate electricity from two wind turbines, solar panels and hydro generation so making the heat we use low carbon was naturally the next step.”

Owner of Broadgate Farm Cottages, Elaine Robinson said:

“We don’t have mains gas and the price of oil and LPG is very expensive so when we decided to develop the holiday cottages a ground source heat pump was the most economically attractive in the long term, especially with the Renewable Heat Incentive. This is the first of our applications to be approved.”

Currently around half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the energy used to produce heat – more than from generating electricity. The RHI will reduce emissions by 44 million tonnes of carbon to 2020, equivalent to the annual carbon emitted by 20 typical new gas power stations.

Over 95% of heat in the UK is currently produced by burning fossil fuel but with North Sea supplies now in decline leading to an increase in imports, low carbon alternatives are needed.

The guides are technical and aimed at buildings managers, surveyors, developers and others who are in a position to help make decisions about how buildings are heated. The guides do not discuss grants, incentives or policy but instead aim to increase the technical knowledge of the reader and help them evaluate the suitability of their site for biomass heating before bringing in external consultants. We hope that the work will also help the reader evaluate the quality of work provided by consultants during any further feasibility/system design work that is under taken. The work builds on guides produced by the Carbon Trust. The work was funded by DECC and FC Scotland with technical input from Defra and Hetas. Most of the technical information was complied by David Palmer, an independent engineer with lots of experience with woodfuel systems, mainly in Scotland. David also works with the Carbon Trust so the approach adopted by the guides compliments rather then contradicts existing information. Early drafts of the guides were reviewed by industry via the REA.